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Sunday, July 8, 2018

France: Court sentences 'ignorant' anti-Semitic attackers

The sentencing in France of three men for an anti-Semitic rape-robbery in Paris in 2014 has revived concerns within the Jewish community. The men's defense lawyer claimed they were not anti-Semitic but ignorant.

The court gave the three men sentences of eight, 13 and 16 years for the crime they carried out in the Creteil suburb of Paris in 2014.

A 22-year-old who made comments including "for my brothers in Palestine," and suggesting they should "gas" their victims during the attack, before destroying all the Jewish images in the apartment, is still on the run. He was sentenced in absentia.

The 26-year-old and 23-year-old co-accused were in court for the sentencing. They have already been detained for four years.

Defense lawyer Marie Dose told the court in Val-de-Marne, southeast of the French capital on Friday: "They are not anti-Semitic, they are ignorant. They are swimming in gross stupidity."

Prosecutors said there was no doubt the victims had been chosen because the attackers believed them to be Jewish.

...

Prosecuting counsel commented during the hearing: "To say that 'Jews
have money' is a prejudice, but it is not criminal. You have to fight it
by going to schools. But racial prejudice, this human imbecility,
becomes a prejudiced act when it is used to target its victims."